Plate-bending machine



A. M. MEYERS. PLATE BENDING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED APR s 1918 Patented July 6, 1920.

3 SHEETSSHEET I,

' INVENTOR /7/7294 ATTORNE y A. M. MEYERS.

PLATE BENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.6,19I8- 1,345 3 Patented July 6, 1920.

3 SHEETSSHEEI' 2.

INVENTOR Q /W'M/Mfl/fle/ai 1/ w R ATTOR/Vliy A. M. MEYERS.

PLATE BENDING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED APR. 6, I918.

Patented July 6, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

30 i cient for the purpose.

machine, as on the line indicated by III,

' To all whom it may concern:

, and useful Improvements in Plate-Bending UNITED STA Airman. mamas, or naaamn, KANSAS.

PLATE-BENDING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

. Application filed April e, 1918. Serial No. 226,992.

Be it known that I, ALFRED M. MEYERS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Merriam, in the county of. Johnson and State of Kansas, have invented certain new Machines; and I do declare the followingto be a fulhclear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame,.reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to'the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to plate bending, and more particularly to a machine for bending heavy metal plates of the type usedin large retorts, tanks, QllCz, the principal object of the invention being to bend the plates while cold, i

e In accomplishing this object I have provided improveddetails of structure, the preferred forms of which are illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, wherein v Figure I is a perspective view of a plate.

' bending machine constructed in accordance with my invention, the figure illustrating a machine comprising'four air hoists, although the number or character of the lifting devices is immaterial, provided they are sulfi- FigLH is a front View of the machine, with the pull chains removed .for i better 'illustrationthis figureshowing but three air hoists and lIICllC2li/1Ilg,a machine shorter in length than that shown in Fig. I; i

Fig; HI is avvertical cross section ofthe Fig. 1; illustrating use of auxiliary shaping ribs. V v

Fig. IV is an enlarged vertical cross section of members of the frame, illustrating the anchor socket for the metal plate,,and, the cam for holding the inner edgeof the plate. 1

Fig. V is a detail view of the'fixe'dbending rib, illustrating mounting of an aux-v iliary rib of sharpercurvature. F igwV I is a detail viewof a modified form of fastening of hoist chains to: the

1 metal plate to be bent,

Referring more in detailto' the drawings:-v p 1. designates a platform comprising longi tudinal, foundation beams 2 and platform beams 3, the latter preferablycomposedof double channel irons arranged back to back" to aiford substantial support for and connectlon wlth the upper frame and shaping members presently described. There may be any Patented July 6, 1920.

suitable number of platformfbeams, but

7 preferably one for each bending rib, as said ribs are extended between the channel pairs and bolted thereto to firmly mount the ribs 'in the machine The platform also con1- prises an Intermediate, longitudinal I beam 5 which is cut away at its upper edge, as at 6, to seat the platform beams 3. At the rear of the machine arejstandards 7, preferably of angle irons, which seat on the rear ends of the beams 3, andhavebrace plates 8 bolted thereto and extended between the angle membersand permanently attached to said members to firmly support the standards.

Each of saidstandards carries at its upper end a forwardly extendingplate 9, for con nection with a frame beam 10, all of which and extend upwardlytheref-rom at an angle of more than 190 degrees in order to provide the necessary bendingspaceat the front of latter are seated on the platform beams 3,

the machine. Eachlo'f the frame beams 10 is also preferably composed of channel irons, arranged in pairs with the members of each pair lymg along'opposite sides of the standard plate 9 and bolted thereto to stabilize the beam.

12 designates permanent bending ribs,

each of which comprises a body member,

having a rearwardly directed neck 13 located between the channel membersof the frame beam 10, and extended downwardly between the members ofthe platform beam' 3- and connected to the. Ibeam 5- by an axle it is against this bending ribthat the pressure is exerted during operationpf the machine; I prefer toilocate angle irons '14 at the front of the I. beam through which the.

bolts-that attach the flanges 13 to the necks of the bending ribs may be secured.

; The upper corners of the bending ribs 12 are braced by angle irons 15, which are 1 bolted to the said ribs and to the standard plates 9. All of the permanent bending ribs in the machine are connected by'a cross channel 16', which lies a' ain st the upper ends of the ribs and is loolteto the flanges of the several angle irons 15. The angles '15 are paired on opposite sides of the respective bending ribs and of the standard plates 9, so that the connecting bolts extend through the bending ribs and flanges of both paired members 15.

The forward edges 17 of the several permanent bending ribs 12 preferably have like and definite curvature, for bending a plate to that particular curvature, but should it be desired to bend a plate to a different curvature, auxiliary ribs of such different curvature may be temporarily attached to the permanent ribs 12, as will presently be more fully described. I

The front or curved edge of each of the ribsl2 extends to the frontedge of the frame beam 10 and is spaced from the top ofthe platform beam 3, so that a pocket is formed beneath the bending rib for receiving the rear edge of the metal plateor sheet which it is desired to'shape or bend. As the shaping or bending of the metal plate is effected by drawing the same from its forward edge against the ribs '12, it is necessary to firmly'hold the rear edge of the metal plate to be shaped andbrace the bending ribs. This is effected by: extending transverse, stops 18 between adjacent bendmg ribs, near their rear ends. These stops preferably comprise forwardly facing channel ironswhich are attached to the bending ribsby angle-irons 19.19 one flange'of each of which is attached to the web of the channel iron and the other flange se curely bolted to the adjacent bending rib, it being apparent that the irons 19l9' may registeron oppositesides of the bending ribs and the same bolts used for both angles. \Vith'this arrangement the metal plate tobe shaped may be drawn against the curved edges of the bending ribs and against the lower flanges of the channel "irons, so that the plate is bent atthe channel position to start the curvature bending rib. i

To draw the metal-plate and effect the bending thereof, I utilize 'compressedair by along the lines of the imeans ofhoists 21 which are a'djustably supported from the top of the frame. Support of the hoists is preferably effected by providing the upper end of each hoist with a link 22 that extends in the channel formed by the members of brackets 23 on the upper end of the frame beam' 10, and is carried and'are securedtheretoby bolts 26 to .con nect the arm members and attach the same erably composed of paired channel irons, the members of which extend on opposite sides of the bracket23 and frame beam. 10

to the frame.

, Locatedbetween the members of each of said arms 25 at the front end thereof, is a.

The. rear end of the cable 28 extends be- 7 tween the members of plate 23 and channel beam 10, and runs overa pulley 30 mounted between the members of arm 2 5, as is the pulley 27. The rear end of the cable carries a weight 31 which is adapted for counter balancing the hoist 21, so thatjthe hoist may easily assume any desired position andconform to the bending operations.

The upper end of the frame is preferably braced to retain all of the parts in functional relation, by a channel 33 attached to the rear flanges of the several beams 10, anda channel 34: which is attached to'the upper ends of said beams 10 by angle pieces 35 that are bolted to the bases of bothbeams.

, Each hoist 21 comprises a piston (not shown), havinga rod 36' provided at its free end with a hook 37 which is connected with the upper link of a chain 38, the inner link of which has a hook 39 which may be attached to'the top of the I beam 5, the. chain being of suflicient length to extend. around the outeredge of the metal plate 40 that is supported on the platform beams 3; in position to be bent. I

- Each of the hoists is fed through aflexible hose 42 having an individual valve 43 and connected with a supply: manifold-44,

In order to hold the inner edge-of the metal plate and prevent itsslippingwhen the outer edge is drawn upwardly to bendthe plate, I' provide'a clamp at the pocket provided .7

portions, preferably comprising-[cams 46, which are fixed in ashaft47 that is jour-f' naled in bearing 48 on the I beams-5. The

shaft 47 extends beyond the ends of the body of the machine and is operatedyby hand levers d8, one ofwhich is attached. to each end of the shaft 47 and is movable along a quadrant 49. Each lever48 has a pawl 50 cooperative with the quadrant and providedwith a hand latch' 5l, so that the shaft. and the cams carried thereby may be 7 retainedin any set position;

IVhen'the machine is idle, the shaft rests; with the cams lowered (Fig. III), so that the edge of a plateito be bent maybe pro-* 1 jected into the pocket at the baseof the bending rib. ;VVhen the plate is placedon the platformthe shaft is rocked to force the cams againstth'e under surface of-the inner edge of the plate and press the plate against the lower edge of the stops- 18 (FigIV).

In this way the inner edge of the plate is" clampedto prevent its displacement when bent around the ribs 17. :1

As above'stated, the permanent bending ribs 12 being of fixed: curvature or radius,

auxiliary plates must beused. Such use is effected by'attachingauxiliary plates 50'yto the permanent plates 12, referab'ly by bolts 51, the auxiliary plates a utting against the channel irons so that their curved ed sare practically continuous with the curv edges of the permanent ribs at the inner ends of the latter. "It is apparent that there is a slight diiferenceof curvature at that point I but this is not suflicient to affect the use of the machine:

' In using the machine, assuming the parts to be constructed and assembled as de-.

the outer edge of the plate 40 andconnected with the hooks on the extended hoist rods 36 (see Figs. I and III).

WVith the parts so arranged, compressed air is admitted to the outer ends of the active hoists 21 to force the pistons upthereby drawing the rods 36 and wardly,

This drawing of the hoist rods chains 38.

and chains lifts'the free edge of the metal plate and, as the inner edge of the plate is anchored in its pocket in the machine, the plate is drawn over the curved edgeof the bending ribs 12 and assumes its curvature.

it will be noted that the bending rib 12 is only of sufficient length to engage about one-half ofthe metal plate, so that only onehalf of the metal plate is bent at a single operation. After the first half of the plate is bent, it is reversed and the bending completed, so that after the second operation the curvature is over the entire width.

I provide for reaction of the metal 'by' using bending ribs ofless radius than that required for the metal plate, so that when the latter is released after being bent over the bending ribs it will react to the proper,

' curvature. V

Should it be desired to bend a metal plate on a radius other than thatprovided for by the permanent bending ribs 12, auxiliary ribs 50" of the proper radius and curvature are attached to the permanent ribs 12, and the operation just described is performed.

' In the modified form shown in Fig. VI, the hoist chain is shown anchored .to' an angle iron-that is, removably attached to the outer edge of the metal plate 40, preferably by bolts, so that the iron may be easily applied to and removed from the plate without damage thereto. s Y

- Should it be desired to bend a plate on a I wave or taper. line, ribs of different radii -1nay be arranged in the machine and the metal plate drawn thereagainst, different portions of the plate taking their shape from the particular ribs against which they are -drawn.- v

It is apparent that any suitable number of hoists may be used forlifting the metal plates and that plates of any length within the limits of the machine may be bent by proper arrangement relativeto the air hoists.

It is further apparent that while I have in the description, referred to specific details of -construction,-this has beeIf principally for explanation and without intention to limit thev scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein and desire to-secure by Letters-Patent, is

1. In a plate bending machine, a plat-' form, a-base,aibeam on thesaid base, a

plate clamping member in rear of and beneath the beam to clamp a plate against the same, the "clamping member comprising a rotatable shaft and a cam on said shaft, a plate bending flexible member anchored atone end of the base and a power device at the other end of said flexible member.

2. In a metal bending machine, fixed shaping means, means for supporting a plate neously move into plate-clamping position so as to clamp plates between the cams and the templet-carrying beam, a power device above the templets, and a flexible connection anchored to the base and engageable with the free ends ofplates secured between the cams and beam whereby when power is applied to the power device, the free ends of the plateswill be bentupwardly against'the curved portion of the templets.

4. In a metal bending machine, a base, a shaping templet comprising a plate having curved outer ends projecting upwardly from said base, means for supporting one end of a plate to be bent, the other end of the plate the templet, a'fiexible connection anchored to the base and engageable with the free to be bent, a hoist pivotally mounted at one being free, a pivoted hoist positioned above 7 members.

whereby movement. of the hoist in one direction will ,bend the free end of the plate against thecurved surface ofthe templet, and a counter-balance weight connected to theend of the hoist distant from its pivotal connection.

5. A plate bending machine comprising in combination, a base, a plurality of form members on said base, means on said form members for varying the curvature thereof, means opposite said form members and spaced therefrom to receive the edge of the plate to be bent, flexible members each se- .cured at one end to said base and disposed around the free edge of the plateto be bent, and power means to operate the fiexible means to draw the plate against said form .6. A plate bending machine-comprising a frame, means adapted to receive and hold one edge of a plate to bewarped, said means including complementary form and stop members disposedon opposite. sides of the plate, a chain adapted and arrangedfor application to the opposite side of the plate from'the-form member, one end of the chain being adjacentto the fixed edge of the plate 7 and the body of the chain being disposed 7 around the remote free edgeof the plate, and power means to operate the chain to draw the plate tightly against said formmember, 

